The musings of an amusing twenty-four year old traveling blonde

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Of Vikings and Trolls

Iceland has been conquered and it’s time to go home to rest and reset before the next big adventure.

In these past ten days my father, brother and I made a full circle around the entire country (which sounds a little less impressive when you realize that Iceland is the size of the state of Illinois) and I can say that I have fully experienced the land of Vikings. I’ve been splashed by the waterfalls at Kirkjufellfoss, I warmed up in the geothermal baths in Myvatn, I tasted Hakarl (fermented shark) in Stykishholmur, and I wandered the streets of Reykjavik snacking on Skyr (Icelandic yogurt). And that was just the last three days of my trip.

All of this was possible because Iceland is a land of convenience. One main road, appropriately called Ring Road, circles the entire country allowing you to explore the highlights of each region without straying off the path. Hypothetically, you don’t have to even leave your car. It’s like being on an African safari. But it’s cold. And there’s are no wild animals. And you should probably leave your car.

And why wouldn’t you? There’s waterfalls with Viking curses on them, craters that have inspired classic novels, volcanoes that have paralyzed all of Europe, and moss covered lava so soft that you’d want to sleep on it. There are tons of other surprises and quirks, too. In fact, you can even visit the goat that was chased by Khaleesi’s dragon if you’re a Game of Thrones fan.

Something I failed to mention while I was whining about how pricey the food is, is that it’s also very good. This is seafood heaven (or should I say, Valhalla?) and I had fresh caught salmon so good that I had tears in my eyes.

Realistically, I know that not everyone can take ten days off, fly across the Atlantic, rent a car and speed off into the Icelandic sunset (just kidding, the sun doesn’t really set in the summer)- but, my dear friends, I urge you to consider a stopover in Iceland on your next flight to Europe.

I’m done ranting and raving, but please drop me a line if you’re adding it to your bucket list and want to know more- I’d be happy to chat.